Caitlin Clark, Fever vs. Sun Playoff Game 2 was Most-Watched WNBA Game Ever on Cable
Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVSeptember 26, 2024
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
It is only fitting Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever team set another ratings record in the final game of her rookie season.
ESPN announced Thursday that Wednesday’s first-round playoff game between the Fever and Connecticut Sun posted a Nielsen number of 2.5 million viewers and peaked at 3.4 million viewers. That made it the highest-rated WNBA game on cable in the league’s history.
What’s more, it was up 507 percent from last year’s first-round coverage on ESPN.
ESPN PR @ESPNPRWednesday’s #WNBAPlayoffs matchup between the @IndianaFever & @ConnecticutSun delivered cable’s most-viewed #WNBA game EVER đź‘Ź
More: https://t.co/Vzq3oeIVmI pic.twitter.com/KSOM4ekRso
This comes as no surprise, as Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes set ratings records when she was in college before the 2024 WNBA draft that saw her selected No. 1 overall also set records.
Her Fever were the most-watched WNBA team this season.
Despite all the interest, Indiana lost in the first round in two games. Clark did what she could in Game 2 against the Sun and finished with 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, one steal and one block while shooting 10-of-23 from the field.
However, Marina Mabrey’s three-pointer in the final minute extended Connecticut’s lead to four, and the home team never looked back. She finished with 17 points and six assists, while Alyssa Thomas posted a double-double of 19 points, 13 assists and five rebounds.
While the season didn’t end like they wanted, the future remains bright for the Fever thanks in large part to the presence of Clark.
And there will surely be plenty of people tuning in for her second season.
